6 Tips To Keep your Cholesterol in Check
Cholesterol is a word that is a bit scary for many people. It’s associated with clogged arteries and heart disease. There is no question that high cholesterol levels lead to heart disease, which is the top killer of men and women. You do, however, need a certain amount of cholesterol in your body for proper cellular function, so it isn’t completely bad. And one form of cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol is actually good. It decreases heart attack risk because it helps clean bad cholesterol from our arteries.
Too much cholesterol, particularly the low density lipoprotein, or LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, results in deposits building up inside the arteries. Eventually, arteries become clogged and can stop blood flow altogether if the blockage is too severe. Since our arteries are how blood and oxygen are delivered to our body’s cells, clogged arteries can cause major problems, and not just for the heart. Clogged arteries leading to the brain can cause stroke, and clogged arteries leading to extremities can result in gangrene and amputations.
There is quite a bit the average person can do to reduce high cholesterol levels and therefore reduce heart disease risk. Here are some tips for getting your cholesterol levels lower.
1. Get tested. According to the American Heart Association, over 100 million Americans have high cholesterol. Just having high cholesterol doesn’t cause symptoms, and many people don’t even realize how high their cholesterol is until after they have heart problems. A common blood test checks for total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides (another type of circulating fat). If you’re over 20, and otherwise healthy, you should get your cholesterol checked every 5 years.
2. Know what the numbers mean. Your cholesterol “number” is given in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), and ideally it should be under 200. Anything above 240 is high, and numbers from 200 to 240 are borderline high. HDL levels should be at least 45, and LDL cholesterol levels should be 130 or less. These are general guidelines, however, and your doctor will go over what your numbers mean based on your age, gender, and medical history.
3. Eat healthier foods. Reduce high cholesterol foods and consume no more than 30% of your daily calories in the form of fats.High cholesterol foods should be avoided as much as possible - these foods are usually those created from animal products. Realize that some fats are better. Saturated fats are the worst, and are found in meats and dairy products. Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats, found in vegetables and vegetable fats, are far healthier and can lower cholesterol when substituted for saturated fats. Fiber, fish, vegetables, and fruits are good for you and should be prominent in your diet.
4. Quit smoking and lose excess weight. Quitting smoking is one of the healthiest things you can do for your body, and losing extra weight and exercising are extremely health-promoting as well. Half an hour of moderate exercise 3 times a week will improve fitness and help keep weight under control. All these steps will reduce your heart attack and stroke risk.
If lifestyle changes aren’t enough to get your cholesterol under control, you may have to take prescription drugs to help. Your physician will guide you on the best way to control your cholesterol. I also suggest you read the following article: 4 Easy Ways To Keep your Cholesterol in Check
Too much cholesterol, particularly the low density lipoprotein, or LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, results in deposits building up inside the arteries. Eventually, arteries become clogged and can stop blood flow altogether if the blockage is too severe. Since our arteries are how blood and oxygen are delivered to our body’s cells, clogged arteries can cause major problems, and not just for the heart. Clogged arteries leading to the brain can cause stroke, and clogged arteries leading to extremities can result in gangrene and amputations.
There is quite a bit the average person can do to reduce high cholesterol levels and therefore reduce heart disease risk. Here are some tips for getting your cholesterol levels lower.
1. Get tested. According to the American Heart Association, over 100 million Americans have high cholesterol. Just having high cholesterol doesn’t cause symptoms, and many people don’t even realize how high their cholesterol is until after they have heart problems. A common blood test checks for total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides (another type of circulating fat). If you’re over 20, and otherwise healthy, you should get your cholesterol checked every 5 years.
2. Know what the numbers mean. Your cholesterol “number” is given in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), and ideally it should be under 200. Anything above 240 is high, and numbers from 200 to 240 are borderline high. HDL levels should be at least 45, and LDL cholesterol levels should be 130 or less. These are general guidelines, however, and your doctor will go over what your numbers mean based on your age, gender, and medical history.
3. Eat healthier foods. Reduce high cholesterol foods and consume no more than 30% of your daily calories in the form of fats.High cholesterol foods should be avoided as much as possible - these foods are usually those created from animal products. Realize that some fats are better. Saturated fats are the worst, and are found in meats and dairy products. Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats, found in vegetables and vegetable fats, are far healthier and can lower cholesterol when substituted for saturated fats. Fiber, fish, vegetables, and fruits are good for you and should be prominent in your diet.
4. Quit smoking and lose excess weight. Quitting smoking is one of the healthiest things you can do for your body, and losing extra weight and exercising are extremely health-promoting as well. Half an hour of moderate exercise 3 times a week will improve fitness and help keep weight under control. All these steps will reduce your heart attack and stroke risk.
If lifestyle changes aren’t enough to get your cholesterol under control, you may have to take prescription drugs to help. Your physician will guide you on the best way to control your cholesterol. I also suggest you read the following article: 4 Easy Ways To Keep your Cholesterol in Check
